Maruti Baleno : Official Review

This is a discussion on Maruti Baleno : Official Review within Official New Car Reviews, part of the Team-BHP Reviews category; Originally Posted by KD007
Are the above also felt by others or was it a limitation of 9000 kms driven ...

Are the above also felt by others or was it a limitation of 9000 kms driven test drive car or my high expectations from the car

My cousin has just booked a Baleno CVT Delta (I guess) variant and his "Maternal" Waiting period has begun !!

During the TD, we drove one which had about 10k Kms and it felt like a Swift that had run about 5K kms. There were no real rattles that were alarming per se', but surely it did not feel that well put together.

Again, this could be due to one of the following 2 reasons:

- We drove S-Cross 1.6 while they got us the Baleno CVT for the TD.

- We drove To & Fro for the TD visit in my GT and my cousin was only praising the fit & finish all along

1. The engine sound, i felt it is quite audible in all speed range and increases with higher speed. I would not say unbearable but felt more than normal

2. Felt the road type (thuds, clunks, bumps etc.) in the cabin?

3. The wind noise is high nearing 80?
:

I own a manual, but these characteristics are common.

1.) Engine sound is audible, the insulation is better than swift but inferior to elite i20. I feel it is quite ok and in fact I really love the engine note when revs climb up.
2.) Yes, this is a problem. Several people have already expressed dissatisfaction about the stiff suspension. The thuds and clunks comes into the cabin when you go over pot-holed roads and sometimes it feels as though some part of the car got broken came off !
3.) There is slight wind noise catching up over 100 but nothing worrisome.

a) I need to plan in advance while overtaking
b) Closely keep a tab on bikers, trucks, autos who are about to switch lanes abruptly. Use proper judgement and apply brakes cautiously
c) The instant start from a signal

I sometimes feel that I might end up getting a bad head ache as I'm being over cautious when driving the Baleno.

Alright. So got the 3M under-body rust protection treatment (with 5 years warranty) done last Sunday. Also, got a chance to test the follow-me home headlights this morning. My son was absolutely thrilled seeing this

Engine Noise - I guess can be lived with considering aircon and music can cover it up a bit. There was also a continuous whistling sound with the engine (not the wind noise since it can be heard on lower speed while starting from stand still as well). Is that experienced from others as well? Can sound dampening on doors from Maruti reduce it?

In cabin road presence - This is my biggest concern, two parts to it

1. Road Noise coming from the tyre - Test drove the Delta cvt which had MRF tyres. I am hoping the Zeta variant which comes with Apollo Alnac will be better and there will be less road noise heard. Am i correct? Also what other tyres (brands and sizes) are suggested which can reduce the road noise and also make the ride more comfortable?

2. Road presence - All the potholes being felt, i am not sure can i live with it. Owners is it very irritating on day to day basis? Will it lead to tiresome long drives?

Thank you in advance. Hopefully based on response can finalize on it. Looking for white zeta cvt. Priority based on the SA's excel sheet is number 7. So if i book by tomorrow or so should be not more than 10 for me.

Road presence - All the potholes being felt,Will it lead to tiresome long drives?

Sound dampening is needed for this car, compared to TATA ZEST sound intrudes cabin more in baleno
Apollo Alnac is good as far as noise is concerned, its the entire cabin which is not well insulated compared to ZEST.

No issues with long drives, but ride is on bumpier side.
Delta should have better ride I believe.
So given a choice, I would have preferred those 65 section tyres on 15 inch rims.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dheepak10

Can you please explain this one? I'm not sure how the CVT is linked to this.

With CVT you don't get instant power like MT, so bikers can cut in gaps before you close them.

Try driving the car in "L" with sports mode on. I use this to overcome the lack of power in tricky situations (eg:low speed overtaking a bus)

Sports mode - should make a difference.
But driving in L might not be advisable at "overtaking speeds". Usually the L - "Low" gear is meant to be used in low speed, high power requirements. L gear in an overtaking situation ( / speed) could drive revs up beyond normal. This is MHO.

Further I remember seeing a speed / RPM restriction when shifting to L - as per the manual.

Sports mode - should make a difference.
But driving in L might not be advisable at "overtaking speeds". Usually the L - "Low" gear is meant to be used in low speed, high power requirements. L gear in an overtaking situation ( / speed) could drive revs up beyond normal. This is MHO.

Further I remember seeing a speed / RPM restriction when shifting to L - as per the manual.

I was referring to low speed overtaking and closing gaps in b2b traffic where you need surge of power. L is good till 50-60kph

Dear Members. It will be better if we all restrict to the relevant portion of the messages when we quote messages.
It's slightly awkward for reading, when the complete message is quoted. In some cases, the half page post is quoted and the reply is just a one liner.